


Apologies

by JewishDavidJacobs



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Compliant, Davey apologizes for being sexist, Gen, Katherine doesn’t remember Davey being sexist, Period-Typical Sexism, She’s used to it, and she low-key thinks it’s adorable that Davey thought she was upset
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:14:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24337978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JewishDavidJacobs/pseuds/JewishDavidJacobs
Summary: ”A ragtag gang of ragamuffins…who haven’t got a nickel to their name.””I say we save any exclusive for a real reporter.”Davey visits Katherine at work to apologize for what he said the first time they met, but she’s used to hearing that kind of thing every day.
Relationships: David Jacobs & Katherine Plumber Pulitzer
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Apologies

“I think I owe you an apology.”

Katherine looked up from the notes she was reviewing at her desk. There, in the doorway to her office, stood Davey Jacobs. Katherine spared a quick glance at her pocket watch. It was half past eleven. 

“Davey? What are you doing here? Why aren’t you selling?” 

“I am.” He held up his bag for emphasis. “Is now a bad time?” 

“Um, no,” she said, confused, “come on in.” 

Davey closed the door behind him and sat down, looking around appreciatively. He smiled and Katherine followed his gaze to the framed page on her wall: “Newsies Stop the World.” 

“I’ve got to say, I thought I would see you out there.” He gestured in the direction of the bullpen. “Although I’m not surprised you were promoted so quickly.” 

Katherine chuckled. 

“They gave me an office after the strike. Apparently it wouldn’t be appropriate for a young, unmarried woman like myself to be with all those older men out there. I know,” she added when Davey rolled his eyes, “I had the exact same reaction, but I’m not going to complain about getting my own office.”

“Fair enough.”

“I’m sorry, what was it you said when you came in here? I was distracted.”

“I-”

“Not that you need a reason to come, of course! I’m always happy to see you.”

“I think I owe you an apology.”

“What?” She looked at him blankly. “Why?”

“I…” Davey trailed off, seemingly nervous. Katherine had the urge to go and comfort him but wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. “I shouldn’t have said what I said to you that first time we met. I’m sorry.”

“Davey…I have no idea what you’re talking about. What did you say?” 

“Seriously?” Davey looked shocked. “You don’t remember?” She shook her head. “Katherine, I said that we should save an exclusive for a ‘real reporter.’”

Katherine laughed. She tried not to, but she really couldn’t help it. Davey looked distraught and she quickly got herself under control.

“Davey, has this been bothering you?” He nodded. “Oh, sweetheart, don’t worry about it. I only vaguely remember that. Do you know how many times a day someone says something like that to me?” 

“No.”

“Neither do I; I’ve stopped counting. It’s very sweet that you wanted to apologize but it’s really okay.”

“But it isn’t!” he protested. “It’s not fair to you! And I don’t want you to think I actually ever thought that.”

“You didn’t?”

“Kath-”

“I mean, I know you don’t now, but you didn’t even then?”

“No! No, Katherine, I was just angry. I was insulted and I tried to act tough but I just ended up acting like an ass. I’m sorry.”

Insulted? Had she done something wrong and hurt him? 

“Davey, what were you insulted about?” 

“It doesn’t matter anymore. Point is-”

“No, it does matter,” she insisted. He looked away. “Tell me.”

“It’s going to sound really stupid.”

“If it hurt you it isn’t stupid.”

He didn’t speak for a moment but eventually sighed and gave in. 

“You were kinda condescending. You called us ragtag ragamuffins without a nickel to our name.”

“Oh.” Katherine was embarrassed to admit that she didn’t recall that. In her memory, that whole day was just one long blur of stress mixed with excitement. She remembered meeting the newsies at Jacobi’s and getting them to agree to letting her write the article, but not much else about it except Jack’s obnoxiously bad attempts at flirting. “Davey, I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. 

“It’s fine. It was stupid of me to be offended, and I’m really not upset about it anymore. It was a month and a half ago. I only thought of it because it’s what made me mad at the time.”

“Well, I still shouldn’t have said any of it.”

“Thanks. And I really need you to know that I said what I did because I was angry, not because I think you can’t be as good of a reporter as men can - hell, you’re barely nineteen and better than most.” 

She smiled. 

“Thanks, Davey. I appreciate the sentiment but…you’re probably pretty alone on that. It’s a novelty to meet someone who doesn’t think I’m going to be awful at my job or that I should just give up.”

“I’m sorry.”

“The world is changing and hopefully that will too, but it isn’t your fault that that’s the way things are. I know you think I’m capable.”

“Yeah, but…”

“But what?” 

“Well, when I first started thinking about how it came off and about how I was going to explain my thought process to you, my first instinct was to mention my sister.”

“Your sister?”

He nodded. 

“Yeah. You’d like her. Anyway, I thought about how my sister is the smartest and most capable person I know but that isn’t fair, is it? It shouldn’t be about the fact that I have a smart sister, it should be because you’re a person! Because women are people!” He was starting to get worked up. 

“Davey, calm down. It’s really okay,” she assured him.

“No, because that means that I’m prejudiced and I don’t want to be!”

“Everyone has ingrained prejudices, Davey. It doesn’t make you a terrible person.”

“How do you know?”

“Because terrible people don’t care if they’re terrible. The fact that you’re even thinking about it means you’re a good person.”

Davey sighed and collected himself. Katherine waited for him to breathe a few times and remained silent. 

“I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to sit here and reassure me that  _ I’m  _ not sexist,” he said with a chuckle that she shared. “That isn’t your job.”

“No, it isn’t; but you’re my friend, Davey, and I know you’re a good person.”

“I wish you didn’t have to deal with this all the time.”

“With what? People being assholes about me being a woman?” He nodded. “I wish that too, but I’m not the only one who deals with assholes.” She gave Davey a knowing look. He rolled his eyes. 

“It’s not the same thing.”

“That’s true, but I’m saying it’s not like you’re just some privileged jerk telling me what I can and can’t do.”

“I guess so.”

“I know so.”

“I’m sorry, Kath,” he said quietly and ran a hand through his hair. “I came here to apologize to you and now it’s just you comforting me. I mean, I appreciate it but it’s not how it should be.”

“It shouldn’t be any specific way. Clearly this has been bothering you and I’m happy to help. Besides, like I said, it didn’t bother me as much as you think it did. I’m used to it.”

“It should have and you shouldn’t be.”

“Two days ago Jack spent twenty minutes complaining to me about how you basically said the same thing I just did.”

“Jack’s dramatic.”

“Well, we can certainly agree on that. Come on.” She stood and offered him a hand up. “I’m hungry and I’m going to buy you some lunch.”

“What? Katherine, no.”

“Why not?” she asked, not waiting for his answer as she opened the door and walked out of the office, assuming he would follow. 

“Because this is supposed to be my apology to you.”

“For being sexist, right?” He nodded. “If you don’t want to do it again then let the woman buy the meal.” She stopped outside the elevators.

“I-” Katherine cut Davey off with a glare. He deflated. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Anything for my favorite ragamuffin.”

“Hey!”

Her laughter could be heard all over the floor. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! 
> 
> My tumblr is @JewishDavidJacobs. Come say hi and send me prompts!


End file.
